Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Man mauled by bear Denali highway. Well Alaskans NOW it is officially spring.

Courtesy of ADN: 

A man was flown to a hospital Friday after being mauled by a bear near the Denali Highway, the Alaska State Troopers said Sunday. 

Troopers were not releasing details such as the man's name or the severity of his injuries as of Sunday afternoon, according to troopers spokesman Tim DeSpain. 

The man and at least one companion were in an area near Mile 68 of the Denali Highway on Friday when the attack happened. The circumstances of the mauling were not clear Sunday, but DeSpain said they may have been hunting. 

I have a rule about going into the woods in the spring.

I don't.

Spring time is when these monsters emerge from hibernation cranky and hungry, and if they are females possibly with cubs.

As a rule I tend to stay out of thickly wooded areas. And if I do hike I tend to go to well used trails in open areas where there is good visibility and other hikers, often with their dogs, nearby.

Now there are some folks who argue that they are safe because they never go into the woods without a fire arm.

I have a name for these people, "future bear scat."

Often those people are extra careless because they ignorantly believe that their rifles or handguns have magical properties that will protect them.

That is wrong, and in fact if you read about bear attacks in Alaska the recurring theme is that the people fired their weapons, sometimes multiple times, and it seemed to have no effect.

If you have any doubts as to the power and ferocity of these magnificent animals take a moment to watch what I think is the most realistic bear attack I have ever seen in a movie.

20 comments:

  1. From the article: Now there are some erstwhile types who argue that …

    Now there are some FORMER types who argue that … ???
    NOW there are some LONG AGO types who argue that … ???

    That word "erstwhile"; I do not think it means what you think it means.
    http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/erstwhile

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous4:34 AM

    OT
    You should read the comments in this article about Palin's remarks regarding Bill Nye.
    http://bit.ly/26cJFKo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:10 AM

      GAK! That photo.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:08 AM

      Scarah is all over the Bill Nye dill. Did she quit on her military spiel? Isn't it time for her to shine her lite on the PTSD organizations she is so charitable towards? The ones she and Track like and that have done so much for them.

      They are such a lovely family.
      http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/01/22/03/307297C300000578-0-image-a-77_1453432355001.jpg

      The liberal Salon magazine also questions Bill Nye's credentials as a "scientist" as he goes on Meet the Press
      https://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin/posts/10154149097808588

      Delete
  3. Anonymous4:43 AM

    Funny how Sarah never mentions having bear steaks in her freezer. I guess even manly man Todd knows which animals to stay away from.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous9:16 AM

      Bear meat is different. We use it in sausage.

      Delete
  4. I am terrified of and respect bears. Even though we have black bears who sometimes romp in suburbs of Ohio---they are still no joke. But unlike Alaska--we never know when one might turn up in the back yard.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous5:06 AM

    What's this "Denali Highway" of which you speak?

    Don't you mean "Mount McKinley Highway?"

    After all, no less a personage than Governor Sarah Palin has proclaimed "Denali" is a phony name forced on Alaska by the Kenyan usurper.

    Am I right or am I right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:58 AM

      You are WRONG...

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:29 AM

      Sorry ANON 5:58AM . . . looks as thought I was right. As usual.

      http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/sarah-palin-denali-mt-mckinley

      http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bristol-palin-denali_us_55e772eae4b0c818f61a91b5

      http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/09/06/sarah-palin-once-code-named-denali-likes-mckinley-better/

      On of these days you'll learn not to screw with the Old Redneck.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous5:38 AM

    This is the link for the full bear scene. I only saw it to where he shoots the bear in the face, probably the first time. Fake blood and guts isn't my thing.

    https://vimeo.com/160499329

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous5:43 AM

    Another in Haines
    http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/alaska-man-mauled-bear-student-outing-38496531

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeh, a wilderness instructor was mauled. Go figure.

      Delete
  8. Connie6:02 AM

    As I remember my teaching stories, the bear was the top predator until humans came along. I have a lot of respect for the Grizzly/Kodiak/Brown bears who have no sense of humor, especially before their first "cup of coffee" in the spring.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous6:37 AM

    O/T
    Trump came out of his den to vote. He listed the people who are backing him. He left out the Tundra Twat. Hmmmm.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:02 AM

      He may have wised up.
      https://i.imgflip.com/xvlzj.jpg

      Delete
  10. Future bear scat! LOL
    Reminds me of the rapist bear joke "You didn't come here for the hunting, did you?"

    http://www.jokes4us.com/dirtyjokes/redneckandthebearjokes.html

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous11:07 AM

    "monsters" no. "magnificent animals" yes. Just b/c the bears rounded up a little game of buzkashi to celebrate springtime is no reason to name call.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous2:23 PM

    Maybe that's what happened to Todd, he got mauled by mama grizzly.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous7:21 PM

    Magical properties Gyrphen? Please stick to Palin and National politics which you show some knowledge of. Otherwise when I see your fat ass being chewed on by an Alaska Bruin I will let it feed even with a Magical Property firearm in hand. Wish that you hadn't said that now eh? Yes I can drop an animal at 200 yards easily because I know my limits and I know my rifle so do not procede to tell me what I can and can not do in the field. You really are a for the most part a complete jerk on the issue of firearms, you do understand that they are used for hunting no?

    ReplyDelete

Don't feed the trolls!
It just goes directly to their thighs.